World War 3 FEARS: China has started 'HUGE military drills' off the coast of Hainan

World War 3 FEARS: China has started 'HUGE military drills' off the coast of Hainan

CHINA has started huge military drills off the coast of Hainan in the South China Sea as tensions in the area continue to escalate due to President Xi’s apparent expansionist aims in the region, it has been reported.

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On Tuesday a US aircraft carrier sailed through the disputed South China Sea to the Philippines.

There has also been huge tension between China and Taiwan, which the communist nation considers to be a “rogue state” and has never ruled out military intervention.

The US also recently deployed aircraft carriers backed by destroyers to the disputed waters in an apparent challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims.

This reassures US allies in the region but also prompts concerns of China’s own show of force.

General Rolando Bautista from the Philippine army said: “It’s a showcase of the capability of the US armed forces not only by sea but also by air.

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World War 3: There has also been huge tension between China and Taiwan

“The Americans are our friends.

“In one way or another, they can help us to deter any threat.”

Last month it was also revealed in aerial photos of the alarming rate of expansion of Chinese military installations in the South China Sea.

The photos show the extent of Beijing’s construction in the disputed Spratly Islands, with its previously minor outposts now transformed into fortresses featuring air and naval bases.

Diplomatic relations between the five nations which have laid claim to the islands are already extremely strained, and the recent construction of bunkers on some of the atols point to China preparing to “protection against air or missile strikes”, raising the prospect of a conflict which could spark World War 3.

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World War 3: The US also recently deployed aircraft carriers backed by destroyers

The Spratlys themselves offer very little in the way of natural resources, but the waters surrounding them are prime fishing grounds and are thought to contain significant oil and gas reserves.

They are also extremely important from a strategic perspective because of their location near major shipping lanes.

China has also been asserting its dominance in the Indian Ocean, sailing 11 of its warships through the East Indian Ocean in a massive show of force.

The Asian superpower is also wrestling with India for more influence over the Maldives, which recently signed up to Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure programme to the frustration of New Delhi.